[Cortana: Hydra operatives are exhibiting calm body language. No panic. Behavioral profile suggests confidence in external rescue or political shield.]
"They're waiting for someone to clean this up for them," James said quietly.
Coulson glanced at him. "We won't give them that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coulson didn't answer right away. He kept his gaze fixed on James, running the situation through in silence. Hydra wasn't reckless — not when the stakes were this high. They'd moved openly enough to be noticed, yes, but they wouldn't go nuclear without a plan to survive the fallout.
They'd denounced him this round, but that could be walked back or reframed if it suited their interests. The real danger came if Hydra decided to press further — that's when you risked escalation. Push them too soon, and the whole network might burn its cover. Let them stew, and they might try to reposition quietly.
Coulson exhaled slowly. He didn't have the full board in his head yet. That was Fury's territory. He'd learned to trust his instincts, but he also knew the difference between instinct and having intel.
Looking at James, "Director's inbound," he finally said. "Until he gets here, we hold position. There'll be no unnecessary moves made." From serious to a friendlier tone. "You've worked hard — get home and rest. We'll keep an eye on things here."
James gave him a short nod. "Fine. Call me if anything changes."
Carlos was waiting at the apartment when James stepped through the door. He didn't ask questions — just gave him a look that said everything, then gestured toward the bedroom.
"Take a rest," Carlos said. "We'll keep the shop running in the meantime."
The shower washed away the grit of the last forty-eight hours, but the fatigue was bone-deep. James hit the mattress and didn't resurface until the city lights were already burning against the windows.
He reached for his phone. One missed call. He thumbed back.
"Phil. You called?"
"It's nothing much," Coulson said. "The director's here, but there's no need to rush. Come in the morning."
James grunted. "Fine by me."
The smell of cooking hit him as soon as he stepped out of the bedroom. Mindy was on the couch, swinging her legs as she played with anny, eyes bright.
"Brother! You slept all day."
"Yeah," James admitted, collapsing into the sofa cushions. "Too busy last night. Mind grabbing me a Coke?"
She bounded into the kitchen. "Cold one?"
"Always." As she left to go fetch, Anny snuggled close, meowing in James arms.
He complied and placed his hand on her head and gave her a nice petting, receiving a satisfied purr.
A minute later, the can was in his other hand. The first gulp of coke cooled down his throat, and he let the carbonation roll out in a burp. "Better. How was school?"
Scooting over the couch with Anny in the middle, she replied. "Not bad. A lot of people tried to be my friend. I told them it's not that easy." She said it with the air of someone stating a fact of life.
James smirked. "That's my girl. Keeping up with the classes?"
"Of course. Daddy taught me a lot before."
Carlos emerged with plates of food, and Mindy jumped to help. The table was filled, Hannah stepping in with Anny's own food beside their table. For the first time in days, James let himself just eat and listen, letting the rhythm of the house take the edge off him.
Morning brought his energy back in full. By the time he walked into the New York Division, the gaps in the roster were obvious. One-third of the staff are missing. The rest moving with the taut precision of people who knew something had shifted.
"James, come with me," Coulson said the moment he spotted him. They rode the elevator to the top floor — the Director's office.
Nick Fury stood by the window, one hand clasped behind his back. Beside him, a man James hadn't met before — mid-forties, sharp suit, the bearing of someone used to command.
"James," Fury said, "meet Alexander Pierce. Director of the New York Division. Level Seven."
James stepped forward, grip firm when they shook. "Director. First time meeting in person. Been on opposite sides of the map until now."
Alexander smiled politely. "My oversight. A billionaire agent isn't something you see every day."
James held the handshake just long enough for Fury to catch the signal. [Cortana: Heart rate stable. No stress spike. No immediate threat indicators.]
Fury didn't waste time.
"Alexander , the sweep we ran here isn't just about internal discipline," Fury said. "We've confirmed infiltration — deep infiltration — from Hydra. They've been embedded for decades."
Alexander blinked. "Sir, you're not serious."
Fury's gaze didn't shift. "Completely serious. Hydra didn't die with the Red Skull. After the war, S.H.I.E.L.D. absorbed a number of their scientists. That's when they came in. We've been living with the infection ever since."
Alexander's disbelief wavered. "You're telling me Jason, James, and the rest…?"
"They were working for you," Fury said. "Looking for leverage. Waiting to pull you in. You didn't give them the opening."
James studied Alexander's reaction closely. The man's shock was real. He wasn't good enough to fake the tightening around the eyes, the way his shoulders dropped under the weight of the news. [Cortana: No deceit pattern detected. Emotional stress consistent with genuine surprise.]
"They've been trying to box you in," James said. "We cut off the hands. The rest will come slow — it's cleaner that way."
Fury nodded. "That's the plan. New York Division's been compromised, but we must keep it quiet. If we move too fast, we might burn assets we could use to trace their network."
Alexander finally sat, as if the floor had shifted under him. "And you think they'll sit still after this?"
"They will if they think we haven't finished connecting the dots," James said. "That means no leaks. No sudden moves."
Coulson stepped forward. "We've already pulled the confirmed names from the night roster. Day shift was tagged this morning. They're in the holding cell."
"How many?" Fury asked.
"One-third of the Division," Coulson said. "The cells are full."
"Too many to sit here," Alexander said. "We can't hold them forever."
"Agreed," James said. "I've got a place they can't touch." He didn't name Stark Tower. There was no need to let him know.
Fury turned to Alexander. "From this point forward, you will coordinate with Coulson. James stays in the loop on all personnel changes. Anyone flagged goes through him."
Alexander looked between them. "That's an unusual level of authority for—"
"It's what works," Fury cut in. "Hydra won't expect it."
The meeting broke with no formal dismissal. Fury walked out first, Coulson on his heels. Alexander lingered a moment longer, staring at the empty doorway.
James was already thinking ahead. Tomorrow would be calm on the surface — and in that calm, they'd start cutting deeper.
[Cortana: Recommend staggering arrests to avoid network alerts. Priority: monitor outgoing comms for irregular encryption signatures.]
"Already ahead of you," James murmured.